IV ANÁLISIS DEL PROCESO CONSTRUCTIVO IV.1 ADQUISICIÓN DE LAS CASAS
DATOS OBTENIDOS
IV. 6 RESTAURACIÓN DE LA FACHADA RETABLO
Investing in DRR was approved by all parties, and none of the interviewees could think of any stakeholder or group who would not be, in principle, supportive. Some put forward specific advantages associated with proactive risk reduction. The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, for example, noted that tourist resorts’ efforts, for example in the area of biodiversity protection and environmental management, will reduce their burden in managing natural assets. Initiatives in the tourism sector also act as a catalyst and awareness riser for measures implemented by locals.
A range of risk reduction and CCA measures implemented or planned by the public sector, the private sector, or a partnership of both were discussed. These will be structured into the prevention, preparedness, response and recovery.
Public Sector Measures
In terms of disaster prevention, one respondent reported that after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami the rebuilding involved relocating critical infrastructure to the centre of islands, where possible. In addition, some islands have set up multipurpose buildings as recovery centres. However, it was mentioned that the centres are insufficient to accommodate the whole island population.
Several government officials discussed policies they were planning to develop or implement, although some of the statements were vague and lacked clear targets or timelines. Tourism operators were not fully aware of policies and legislation, although the need for an EIA relating to resort development was widely known. The EIA requires operators to highlight potential hazards they might face and asks to identify mechanisms that they would take to minimise these. Further, tourist resorts are now required to provide a disaster management plan. Generally, resorts comply but sometimes they need to be prompted through the annual inspection and they are not always seen as cooperative:
“Every year we do an inspection in all the resorts as well as all the guesthouses on
the islands, including Malé of course. Mostly for the resorts, when we do the
inspection, we really urge them to submit their disaster management plan. We go
through it to see if they have covered everything, every damage or every effect
that can be faced by the resort. Like I said we inspect every year and if they
haven’t prepared it, we ask them to prepare it, we make them do it so that they
Having adequate and efficient disaster management plans was seen as important, especially in the light of a quick recovery. A government interviewee pointed out that a quicker recovery by the tourist resorts is beneficial for the whole country due to the Maldives’ dependence on tourism.
Private Sector Measures
Initiatives by the private sector and self‐regulation were seen as critical for several reasons: The idiosyncrasy of every island: every resort operator needs to understand their
local conditions, monitor issues, and put tailored measures in place.
Business case: tourism operators have a lot to lose if they do not invest in DRR. Limited resources of the public sector: lack of monitoring, implementation and
assistance.
However, several barriers for self‐regulation and voluntary initiatives were put forward. The main one related to costs and the long return periods on the investment of environmental measures. One government official said “businesses are mostly for profit making sometimes they are not really willing to go investing in mitigating climate change or hazards”. This view was shared by several others. At the same time, the long term benefit of DRR and proper design was believed to pay off by the Environmental Protection Agency respondent. One respondent pointed to an increased competitive advantage as a result of climate proofing infrastructure for tourists. Too much information, however, was seen as undermining the image of safety. One resort manager said “For example, if we make emergency evacuation plans and put a lot of posters in the guest’s room. When they come for the first time, they say ‘what is going on – are we safe in this place’?”
Prevention
Tourist resorts spend substantial resources on maintaining their beaches and protect their coastline. Many resorts built sea walls or have groynes, although the focus is now on sand pumping, as groynes were found to cause more erosion elsewhere. It has been estimated that about 80% of the resorts have a dredger to replenish the beach, which is usually switched on every evening. Even the sand pumping (at a huge cost) may not work in all places. Several resorts have switched to over‐water bungalows as these are easier (and cheaper) to maintain than beach in front of land‐based accommodation. In one case, the beach erosion was so severe that the resort built a sundeck with a sunset bar instead of relying on the beach.
A shift has also occurred in terms of leaving some of the original vegetation intact. One resort owner reported that in the past trees were cut down to make place for the resort, but now big trees are kept and the resort structures are built around them. Environmental management in a broader sense maintains the integrity of the ecosystem with positive effects on resilience. A number of resorts were named that showed leadership in environmental protection. One example which emerged in the interviews is Soneva, which
invested into a deep ocean air conditioning system. Intact coral reefs were seen as important tourist attractions and therefore essential to the tourism product.
To reduce the risk of drought, several resorts have invested in rainwater harvesting systems. This is seen as economically sensible since rainwater harvesting would save a lot of money during dry periods.
Preparedness and Response
As mentioned earlier, every tourist resort has to develop a disaster management plan. These plans contain preparedness and response measures, for example a list with essential contacts (phone numbers) and tasks for specific staff who function on the disaster committee. Evacuation routes are explained and procedures described. Resorts also have designated assembly points for fire or tsunami emergencies. Some resorts have life jackets for their staff and guests, located in every room. Others only provide the life jacket in the case of an emergency to avoid a feeling of ‘unsafety’ under normal conditions. One resort owner stated that they cannot prevent a tsunami, but “but we can prepare our teams and be ready for such situations so that they can react or act on the situation and everybody is safe and it doesn’t affect the business”.
Having adequate systems in place to respond in the case of a disaster was seen as important on several levels. First it facilitates a swift recovery (see below), second it is imperative to save lives and keep staff and guests safe, and it is about ‘doing the right thing’ in a normative way. The recent tsunami warning (11th April 2012) highlighted to some resort operators that their plans are not adequate and require further refinement.
Recovery
Risk transfer was mentioned as an important mechanism to enhance recovery. UNDP is currently looking into various forms of risk transfer and assess what is feasible for the Maldives. One respondent explained:
“In the case of risk index insurance, initially, when you buy the premium, you set a
certain index. For instance, what’s more relevant to the Maldives is sea surface
temperature, if sea surface temperature increases to a certain amount the corals
bleach or the corals die. Which would result in less revenue for tourism, nobody
wants to come and look at white corals. So they buy this instrument from an
institution, say when the surface temperature rises to say 33 degrees we get a pay
out”.
Public‐private Partnerships and Other Organisations
The respondents from government entities and other non‐government organisations both mentioned capacity building (e.g. through workshops) and awareness raising (e.g. by the Maldivian Red Crescent) as important initiatives to engage the private sector and the local communities. One project was the continuity of an interactive tool, the Buru Calendar, to
discontinued, but the calendar was still perceived to be a useful instrument that could be (re)incorporated into future projects. Specific projects to produce information relevant for investment were also mentioned, for example the use of cost‐benefit analysis.
Mechanisms of co‐financing for new technology or innovative solutions were talked about as an incentive to engage businesses who might otherwise be reluctant to invest. UNDP, for example, provides seed grants for climate proofing businesses as part of the TAP. Greater partnership with the Disaster Management Centre to improve learning and communication was seen as useful by one operator. Several respondents brought up the role of incentives and collective action to facilitate better risk reduction. One resort operator suggested that joint investment into systems or machinery might produce substantial co‐benefits.
Partnerships between tourism businesses and the Government are important. One example is the ‘swapping of islands’. Recently, there have been a number of cases where developers of new tourist resorts found that the island they had leased was too hazardous or (no longer) suitable for their plans. A government interviewee reported that there are three on‐ going cases where the developers have requested to swap island because of environmental changes.
Appendix D ‐ The Cairo “Guiding Principles for Post‐
Tsunami Rehabilitation and Reconstruction”
(from UNEP/GPA n.d.)1. (Overarching principle) Reduce the vulnerability of coastal communities to physical hazards by establishing a regional early warning system; and applying construction setbacks, greenbelts and other no‐build areas in each nation, founded on a science‐based mapped “reference line”.
Using concepts of integrated coastal management, including public engagement in local decision‐making, employ a rapid assessment zoning and planning process to:
2. Promote early resettlement with provision for safe housing; debris clearance; potable water, sanitation and drainage services; and access to sustainable livelihood options.
3. Enhance the ability of the natural system to act as a bio‐shield to protect people and their livelihoods by conserving, managing and restoring wetlands, mangroves, spawning areas, seagrass beds and coral reefs; and by seeking alternative sustainable sources of building materials, with the aim of keeping coastal sand, coral, mangroves and rock in place.
4. Promote design that is cost‐effective, appropriate and consistent with best practice and placement of infrastructure away from hazard and resource areas, favouring innovative and soft engineering solutions to coastal erosion
5. Respect traditional public access and uses of the shoreline, and protect religious and cultural sites control.
6. Adopt ecosystem based management measures; promote sustainable fisheries management in over‐fished areas, and encourage low impact aquaculture.
7. Promote sustainable tourism that respects setback lines and carrying capacity, benefits local communities and applies adequate management practices.
How things are done is as important, sometimes more important, than what is done. Local knowledge and insights are critically important to successful planning and decision‐making, and local citizens must be engaged in the rehabilitation and reconstruction process at every stage. It is essential that the application of the construction setback line and the boundaries of bio‐shields are defined in consultation with the local communities.
8. Secure commitments from governments and international organizations to abide by these Principles and build on and strengthen existing institutional arrangements where possible.
9. Ensure public participation through capacity building and the effective utilization of all means of communication to achieve outcomes that meet the needs and realities of each situation.
10. Make full use of tools such as strategic environmental assessment, spatial planning and environmental impact assessment, to identify trade‐offs and options for a sustainable future.
11. Develop mechanisms and tools to monitor and periodically communicate the outcomes of the reconstruction through indicators that reflect socio‐economic change and ecosystem health.